Work-for-Hire / Session Musician Agreement
Confirms that a paid contributor (session player, engineer) has no ownership claim over the resulting work.
When it's used
Whenever a session musician, engineer, or paid contributor performs without creative input — e.g. a session drummer playing a pre-written part.
Key terms it should cover
- Clear 'work made for hire' statement
- Flat fee and payment terms
- Scope of the session (hours, takes)
- Waiver of songwriting/ownership claims
Who signs
The artist/producer hiring the session player, and the session player.
How Mercury handles this
Simple templated agreement. Mercury flags if a session-musician role is later credited as a co-writer on a Split Sheet, since that contradicts a signed work-for-hire agreement.
Not legal advice. These are educational summaries and templated agreements. For high-value or unusual deals, always consult a qualified entertainment lawyer.